To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
- The best racing wheels you can buy in 2023
- 1. Fanatec CSL Elite Racing Wheel: Mid-range performance for PS4
- 2. Logitech G923: Best all-rounder
- 3. Thrustmaster TGT: Best racing wheel for GT Sport
- 4. Thrustmaster T300RS / TX Racing: Best mid-range racing wheel
- 5. Logitech G920 / G29: Best budget racing wheel
- 6. Fanatec Podium Racing wheel: The best racing wheel when money is no object
- 7. Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer: Best for PC drivers
Racing games are more advanced than ever, with titles such as GT Sport delivering accurate physics alongside pristine tracks and incredible sound. However, if you’re using a controller you’re missing out. Simply put, the best racing wheels give you more control over your driving, and can seriously improve your gaming experience.
The market is flooded with racing wheels right now, and we’ve tested and compiled a list of our favourites below. From wheels that offer great value, to those that deliver an experience just short of jumping into a real racing car, you’ll find them all here. Note that they’re in no particular order, as certain wheels are only compatible with certain platforms. Nonetheless, these are the ones to consider.
The best racing wheels you can buy in 2023
1. Fanatec CSL Elite Racing Wheel: Mid-range performance for PS4
Price: £939 (with pedals) | Buy now from Amazon
We’ve used the CSL Elite Racing Wheel for an extended period, and it’s one of the best you can get. Before you even switch it on, the quality is impressive; robust stitching, machined metal and an LED rev-counter all set it apart from the cheaper wheels on this list.
The motor strength is comparable with some of the strongest on this here, too, and the way it communicates what your car is doing – as well as the road surface – is impressive. It’s modular, too, so you can add anything from high-end pedals to a handbrake if you’ve got the cash.
At just under £1,000 it’s not the most expensive wheel Fanatec makes, but it’s easy to upgrade individual components at a later date. It’s also compatible with PS5.
2. Logitech G923: Best all-rounder
Price: £350 | Buy now from Amazon
Available on Xbox and PC or PS4, the Logitech G923 takes what makes the budget G920/G29 wheel so good and adds a host of premium features. The new and improved TrueForce force-feedback system is the star of the show, using games’ physics engines and audio output to provide a more realistic experience than most other wheels can deliver.
Not only can you feel strong resistance as you pull left and right on the wheel, but you can also feel what’s going on under the wheels of your virtual race car as tyres scrabble for grip and rattle uncomfortably over kerbs of your favourite race track.
There’s also now a stronger, more progressive spring in the brake pedal and a programmable dual-clutch system to help you launch off the line faster than ever. The new LED rev counter is a handy addition, too, and it’s good to see that Logitech has brought over the 24-point rotary selection dial to the Xbox version of the wheel this time around.
Otherwise, the wheel is similar to the G920/G29 but that’s no bad thing. Build quality remains very impressive, from the slightly refined stitched leather steering wheel cover to the metal gear shift paddles behind the wheel. The force feedback motor inside is the same, too.
The only caveat to all this is that for the swanky new TrueForce system to work fully, it needs built-in support from your favourite racing game. It will work with other games but then you’ll only get the same type of feedback as you got from the G920/G29. Launch titles include Assetto Corsa Competizione, GRID and Gran Turismo Sport, with F1 2020 and Dirt Rally 2.0 to follow.
3. Thrustmaster TGT: Best racing wheel for GT Sport
Price: £568 | Buy now from Amazon
The TGT is only available on the PS4, and that’s because it’s been optimised for Gran Turismo Sport. Take one look at it, and you’ll see just how far that optimisation goes. The design of the TGT echoes the functions you’re able to control in the game, so there’s a knob for things like traction control. The result? You’re able to tweak settings between corners by fiddling with your wheel – just like a real F1 driver!
Throw in a tailor-made setting just for Sony’s flagship racer, and this wheel will let you experience the new Gran Turismo just as Kazunori Yamaguchi intended. Sure, you can play other games on it on both the PS4 and PC – but why would you? Like the CSL Elite, the TGT wheel isn’t cheap, but if you want to play GT Sport as its creator intended, it’s your best bet.
4. Thrustmaster T300RS / TX Racing: Best mid-range racing wheel
Price: £299 | Buy now from Amazon
If you’re after a wheel that’ll give you 70-80% of a higher-end setup, the T300RS is an awesome buy. Thrustmaster’s midrange wheel might not have the professional build quality or materials of more expensive models, but it still makes a huge difference to your racing experience. For the money, it’s unbeatable, and that’s why it’s one of the most popular wheels around right now.
There’s no Xbox One T300RS, but the Thrustmaster TX Racing is an almost identical wheel made for Xbox and PC gamers.
5. Logitech G920 / G29: Best budget racing wheel
Price: £199 | Buy now from Amazon
If you need a wheel on a budget, it’s worth investigating the Logitech G920. It’s much cheaper than most of the other wheels here, and that means its build quality does take a hit, but it’s still an awesome wheel.
The G920 looks great, and the build quality is sturdy enough for all but the most ham-fisted of drivers – and because it’s made by Logitech, it’s supported by all the games you’ll want to play. The G920 is suitable for both Xbox One and PC gamers, and Logitech offers the almost identical Logitech G29 wheel for those on PlayStation.
6. Fanatec Podium Racing wheel: The best racing wheel when money is no object
Price: €1799.95 | Buy now from Fanatec
One of the most expensive setups you can buy right now, the Podium Racing Wheel for PS4, PS5 and PC is a statement of intent for the serious sim racer. Priced at around £1,600 before you factor in pedals, it’s almost double the price of most top-end wheels, but it still packs in serious value.
This is the official wheel of the F1 Esports league and for good reason. It looks as though it was pinched straight from Lewis Hamilton’s championship-winning Mercedes. Around 30cm in width but made squat and compact to fit in an F1 car’s cockpit, the Podium Racing wheel is full of technology.
Fanatec has crammed the face of the wheel with buttons and switches and you’ll find all of them can be used if you’re willing to take the time to set them up. In iRacing, it’s possible to map brake bias, DRS, fuel mix and many other features all on the face of the steering wheel.
The Fanatec has nine multicolour LEDs to give you a better idea of when to change up or down and it’s flanked by two further LEDs strips that can communicate things such as tyre slip or fuel levels. In addition to a 128×64 pixel OLED display, the Fanatec also has two sets of paddles: standard ones for gears and additional, smaller paddles for functions such as DRS.
This would all be pointless without precision and torque, but thankfully the Podium’s compact base delivers both – so much so that a safety key needs to be installed to access all the turning force. Be warned, though, you’ll need a high-end racing seat to make the most of the Podium’s full potential; it’ll rip lesser rigs apart.
Like other steering wheels on this list, it’s possible to upgrade every component of the Podium Racing wheel, but in this case, you may not need to.
7. Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer: Best for PC drivers
Price: £549.99 | Buy now from Box.co.uk
One of the best wheels on the market for PC owners, the TS-PC Racer caters solely for those not using a console. It benefits from some of the best tech Thrustmaster has to offer, and combines innovative design with great fit and finish.
The wheel looks as though it’s come straight from the cockpit of a single-seater. Built from a robust mixture of metal and suede, it’s just like an F1 wheel, and absolutely covered in switchgear. Six buttons give easy access to menus and they’re joined by two aluminium paddle shifters as well as a rotary control.
A powerful 40W brushless motor ensures the TS-PC delivers detailed, strong feedback, and all those buttons and switches really improve the experience. Adjusting settings such as brake bias and the fuel-mix during a race adds an extra layer of immersion.
Of course, the TS-PC Racer could form the beginning of a much bigger setup, if desired. The wheel is detachable and, as you’d expect, the whole set will work with various configurations of Thrustmaster pedals, shifters and handbrakes.
READ NEXT: Best PC gaming headsets
